Bob,
There's always Rugby if you want to watch a full contact sport where they don't fall down each time they are hit. :-)  
 
Keith

Bob - it's not flopping... it's acting.  These guys should all get Academy Awards.
 
Alan

This years Academy Award for Best Actor goes to: Christiano Ronaldo ;-)

Don't go putting any ideas into his head - it's already far too large!

For us football fans, it will definetely be an interesting world cup. Though I have to say, I am a little bit disappointed about the low number of goals in most games. I was surprised though on how well North Korea, NZ, and Switzerland did so far. Those underdog teams really stepped it up.

Agreed on the flopping to get fouls.  Unfortunately, it's become a part of the game.  
 
I totally understand the lack of interest from people who didn't grow up with the sport.  It's much like cricket, baseball and other sports with wait time or low scores, in that it's easy to be bored by it when you don't fully understand the game.  If you truly understand a sport, it's easy to be excited by a 1-0 final score.   Take baseball for example- watching pitch selection, the shifts of the defense, all make it interesting (assuming you know what to watch for).  
 
In my opinion, the World Cup is definitely in the same category- it's very entertaining if you understand the strategy, skill and nuances of the game, but incredibly boring if all you see is a bunch of guys kicking a ball around.

I look at soccer/football much as I do baseball. To me both lose a lot when seen on television and  are best watched at the park/field.  
 
Keith

Keith, I totally agree with you.
It's just liking watching a concert live or on DVD. You get the better details on the TV, but nothing beats the vibe of being there!
 
Greg

Ah cricket:  what a great game,  where even five days may not be long enough to achieve a result!

anyone for tennis ?

Quite a record match at Wimbledon this week!

No surprise that Isner got smoked coming back today. The surprise is that either man could walk coming back to finish the fifth, let alone play.

Smoked by a Dutchman, of course. We're on fire. (Sure enough.)

LOL, I just read ajdover's reference to the USA vs Britain game!!
 
AJ, if you said that over here in the UK you would literally have millions of Scottish, Welsh & Northern Irish people chase you back across the Atlantic with flaming torches & pithforks.  
 
Ours is a small subdivided collection of nations - all very territorial :-)
 
John.

Alan wrote:  
 
Repeat for about 90 minutes and you have a soccer game.
 
I used to think the same thing, but watching a little of the World Cup has educated me.  It should read: Repeat for about 90 minutes.  Then, when you think the game is over, some ref says hey, let's play another 3 or 4 more minutes.  Now what the heck is that all about?
 
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Bill, tgo
 
P.S.  An Alembic bubuzela?
 
(Message edited by lbpesq on June 30, 2010)